Do we like Sherrod Brown?
Our score: 7 out of 10. A solid record on LGBTQ+ rights and workers, held back by a careful, defensive line on trans issues in a tough race.
Sherrod Brown is a comeback story. He is a Democrat who held Ohio's Senate seat for years, then returned in 2026 to win the seat Jon Husted had been appointed to. With 87 per cent of the vote counted he led 48.6 to 46.5, and the AP called it just after 11pm.
The campaign was about the hip pocket. He ran on affordability, opposed data centre expansion, called the war in Iran unnecessary, destructive and expensive, and railed against outside money from crypto, tech and billionaire groups. In his victory speech he said “Ohio is not for sale.” It's a populist, labour-friendly pitch, and it worked.
On LGBTQ+ rights the record is solid. The Human Rights Campaign endorsed him for 2026 and said he voted for the 2022 Respect for Marriage Act after years of support for marriage equality. He said he would “always stand up for the rights of all Ohioans.” We didn't find a campaign against any group, or a slide into conspiracy theories, in what we read.
On the good-person test there is nothing nasty on the record in the pages we opened. No court outcomes against him turned up. The complaints that did surface came from partisan or conservative-leaning sources, so we've left them out. Where it lands: good on people, a bit cautious on trans issues, and we'd back him.